KAYSVILLE — It’s a great compliment to be called a good example and to be recognized as one who stays positive and finds joy in life.

But when that compliment comes from your daughter, it is even more meaningful.

In the letter nominating her mother, Kim Oram, for Kaysville’s Mother of the Year, Marissa Jensen noted an impressive list of qualities.

“She’s always there to help and volunteer her time for other’s needs,” Jensen said of her mother. “She is your best friend because you can easily talk with, joke with, cry with and just enjoy every minute with her.”

Oram’s philosophy of parenting is that “time is the most important thing,” said the mother representing Kaysville this year.

A mother of four girls and two boys, Oram’s seventh and eighth grandchildren on the way this year.

It just came naturally for her to be close to her children, she said.

“It’s important to recognize their individual characteristics and accept them for who they are and not try to compare them with their other siblings,” she said.

It’s also important that mothers don’t compare themselves with other mothers, she said.

With the prevalence of social media, too many young mothers now see the best of everyone else on blog posts or in Facebook pictures and “you think that your life is lacking,” she said.

“For myself, I don’t sweat the small stuff and I enjoy the little things in life,” she said.

Another thing Jensen wrote about her mother was that she doesn’t give up.

“She has been through plenty of trials and never fails to stay positive and pick herself and others back up and find joy in life,” said Jensen.

Oram was divorced when her children were between nine and 19 years old and as a single parent, her circumstances changed considerably.

It was relying on her Heavenly Father and staying close to Him, she said, that helped her through those years.

Her children also gained strength from their faith, said Oram, and from the generous support of their community.

Now remarried, she said she learned through those years that “it’s not money that brings happiness or things, but it’s family relationships and people that you love.”

Love is another trait Jensen sees in her mother.

“She never stops showing love even when her children aren’t making the best decision,” wrote Jensen. “You always know she will accept and love you.”